37 Down, 1 to go; Why Tottenham must deliver at Norwich?

After what has been a long season as a Tottenham fan, Sunday marks the end of our 2021/22 Premier League campaign, with just a single point needed for Antonio Conte’s side to complete a successful season.

Following Newcastle and Calum Wilson’s heroics on Monday night, hopefully, the final twist in the battle for the top four has gone Tottenham’s way, as, after Arsenal’s defeat at St James Park, a point at Norwich on Sunday would see Spurs finish fourth.

On paper, the prospect of Champions League football next season resting on avoiding defeat to an already-relegated Norwich should be a comfort. However, if I’ve learned one thing as a seasoned Spurs fan, there’s no room for complacency when it comes to Tottenham.

Looking at this game pessimistically, the Canaries have nothing to play for, so they will be out to put on a show before returning to the Championship next season; however, the optimist reminds me that ultimately player-for-player, and as suggested by the league table, Tottenham are vastly superior.

Unfortunately, when facing already-relegated opposition on the final matchday, Spurs’ has a somewhat chequered past. In 2016/17, a Tottenham side then managed by Mauricio Pochettino suffered a 5-1 defeat on the road to Newcastle to miss out on a second-place finish.

Hugo Lloris, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Heung-Min Son, and Harry Kane all started that day, and will likely do so again this Sunday. However five years on, they will surely have the nuance to get Spurs over the line this time around.

Undoubtedly, there is more at stake this season, as while slipping from second to third at the hands of relegated Newcastle was embarrassing, losing out on Champions League football at this stage would be nothing short of catastrophic.

The reverse fixture in December is a good omen for Spurs fans, as Tottenham ran out 3-0 winners thanks to goals from Lucas Moura, Davidson Sanchez, and Heung Min-Son.

Fans will be eager for a repeat offense and in coming into this one unbeaten in five, will be confident of wrapping up a top-four finish this weekend, hopefully in style.

Although the odds favour Tottenham, there is no room for complacency, as I stressed earlier. Spurs must approach this one with the right attitude and, most importantly, avoid defeat, as doing so would deliver a well-deserved Champions League campaign at N17 next season.